The Common Thread

The Common Thread is found in the philosophy contained within each religious doctrine, overlaid by myths, local histories and particularistic doctrine, it is the philosophical commonality that unifies all religions.

1. The Divine principle in Hinduism this is the Brahman, in Buddhism it is the Mind, for Christian and Protestant mystics, it is the concepts of Godhead. Within the Mohammedan tradition the Sufi mystic conceived of Alhaqq, the Real.

2. Revelation of the Divine principle through direct intuition. Buddha, Mohammed, the Christian and the Hindu masters, all wrote emphatically about the knowledge of the heart arrived at intuitively and directly.

3. All religions have spoken of the duality of mans natures and the necessity of overcoming the negative aspect of this duality by union with the Divine principle.

4. The purpose of human life is the discovery of Truth that is the intuitive knowledge of the Godhead. This was considered by all religions as the ultimate purpose of life. (For further reference see A. Huxley's Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita).

God as an indivisible reality exists but maybe you cannot see because your eyes are blinded by the concepts given to you.

A beautiful story emphasizes this subtlety - One night the Sufi mystic, Farid dreams that by the grace of Allah, he has reached Paradise. And finds that the whole of Paradise is decorated. Millions of lights and flowers everywhere- some celebration is going on- and great music. He enquires, "What is going on?" And they say. " This is god's birthday-we are celebrating it. You have come at the right time."

So he stands underneath a tree to see what is happening, because a great procession starts moving on the road. A man is sitting on a horse; he enquires, "Who is this man?" and they say, "Don't you know him? He is Hajrat Mohammed."

And then millions and millions of people behind him, and he asks, "Who are these people?" and he is replied to, "They are Mohammedan's, followers of Mohammed."And then comes Jesus, and millions are following him. And then comes Krishna on his golden chariot, and millions again are following him. And so on and so forth… the procession continues endlessly.

And then finally at the end, on an old donkey vs old man. And nobody is behind him; he is just alone. Farid starts laughing looking at this man. It is hilarious: nobody following him. And why should he be going on his donkey? He asks, " Who are you, sir? I have seen Mohammed, Christ, Krishna, Mahavira, Buddha- who are you? You look like a kind of joke! And nobody following you."

And the old man is very sad and he says, "Yes, I am God. This is my birthday. But some people have become Mohammedan's, some have become Christians, some have become Jews, some have become Hindus-nobody is left to be with me."

Shocked, Farid woke up. He told his disciples the next day, "Now I am no more a Mohammedan. The dream has been a great revelation. Now I am no more part of any organized religion -I am simply myself. I would like to be with God, at least one person following him."

If you have a certain concept of God, you will not be able to see him. Your very belief will become a barrier. Drop all ideas that you have gathered from without; only then can you go within.

Spirituality is about knowing God, it is about feeling God, it is also about becoming God. Spiritual Philosophy is the entire length and breadth of this knowing, feeling and becoming………..What is Love? Thou shalt know when thou becomest Me...